Cookin' with Gags
'' Cookin' with Gags'' is Popeye's 209th theatrical cartoon, produced by Famous Studios and released on January 14, 1955. Plot The cartoon begins with Olive Oyl packing a basket for a picnic. There is a knock at her door and Popeye and Bluto arrive and greet Olive, who greets them back. Popeye has brought Olive some candy and Bluto has brought some cigars (or so it appears). When Popeye is offered one by Bluto, the box opens to reveal a spring-loaded boxing glove, which punches Popeye under the chin. It is revealed that Popeye has fallen victim to an April Fool's joke since it is April 1. The scene changes to the picnic grounds and Bluto prepares another joke, this time involving a balloon. He blows it behind Popeye so that it pops, forcing Popeye to stop the car, thinking that it has blown a tire. While he checks both the front and the back tires, Bluto engages the brakes, which blow smoke on Popeye's face. Again, Popeye has been pranked. While setting up the table, Olive asks Bluto to chop some firewood, however, Popeye volunteers to do it first. Wanting payback, Bluto loads a spring on the axe Popeye uses, and it plows him to the ground. Popeye has again been pranked. Olive finds this funny. Bluto prepares the firewood for the grill and asks Popeye for a match. However, Popeye lights the fire with his pipe. This prompts Bluto to again prank him, this time with gasoline. He pours the gas on the wood, which causes an explosion that stuffs Popeye's mouth with some of the wood. Popeye spits it out and prepares to punch Bluto, but Olive asks him to serve the lemonade. Bluto sees another chance to prank Popeye, replacing the beehive-shaped lemonade container with an actual beehive. As Popeye pours, the bees chase after him, ruining his suit. Both Bluto and Olive laugh at an embarrassed Popeye. Later, during the picnic, Bluto prepares another gag, this time involving an explosive hot dog. He lights the fuse on it and places it on the serving plate with the other hot dogs. He asks Popeye to get them, and he passes the dogs to Olive. As Olive is serving the dogs, the explosive one explodes on her, with the remaining sausages tying her up on a tree. Now the joke is on Olive. Popeye rushes to the tree and asks her what happened while Bluto places the explosive hot dog box in Popeye's hand in order to frame him. Olive regains consciousness to the sight and thinks Popeye has pranked her. Popeye tries to retaliate with his signature vegetable, but, as soon as he opens the spinach can, a toy snake pops out, spooking him; this is another one of Bluto's pranks. Bluto then takes Olive rowing. Getting revenge, Popeye prepares to give Bluto the ultimate prank, involving a pool toy sea monster. Olive panics and she alerts Bluto that the monster is behind him. Bluto flees away from it, however, the pool toy pops, sending Bluto out from the water and onto a tree branch. Now the joke is on Bluto. The cartoon ends with Popeye rowing Olive back to the picnic grounds, and Bluto realizing that Popeye has pranked him. Trivia *This is one of ten Popeye cartoons that could be viewed in the first-person shooter video game The Darkness. *This cartoon reveals that April Fool's Day is Olive Oyl's favorite holiday. External links *''Cookin' with Gags'' at the Internet Movie Database Category:Popeye's Episodes Category:Famous Studios Category:Public domain cartoons Category:Cartoons where Popeye Doesn't Eat Spinach